Movie-writer.



ARTHUR F. BLANCHARD, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

Mo VIE-WRITER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 19, 1916, l

Application filed October 23, 1915. Serial No. 57,608.

To 11H whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR F, BLANCH- Ann, acitizen of the Unit-ed States, and a resident of Cambridge, county ofMiddlesex, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented anImprovement in l\Iovie-\V1.'iters,

., of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specificatioinlike cha 'acters on thedrawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to means or devicesto be used as incentives forconcise thinking, stimulating the imagination and teaching the basictechnique of fiction; and it relates more particularly to a novel andconvenient device for effecting the above objects which may be usedeither as ay toy or game for amusement or entertainment, or purely asmeans for instruction.

In the drawing of one form of my invention selected for illustration anddescription Figure l is a front View, partly broken away; Fig. 2, a topView, partly broken avay; Fig. 3, a side view, partly broken away; Fig.4,.:1 horizontal sectional View on the line 4-l, Fig. l; Fig. 5, adevelopment of the carton or case containing the noveli1lea-stimulatin'g` mediay which will be described in detail. and Figsjland 7, modified forms respectively of the tholight-stimulatingrepresentations.

An important principle of my novel dcvice comprises the `grouping orclassifying of thought-stimulating representations, as words,illustrations or bars of music, into a plurality of groups or classes.and the production ofnovel mechanical means for carrying said groups inprolnijrelation to each other, and for presenting in novel predeterminedrelation one ormore representations from each class or group. There isthus presented to the eye and mind of the operator, a plurality oforderly, classified suggestions which may be used as the basis for astory, poetry, parody, epigram, proverb, paradox, moving picturescenariomusical composition, ctc.

ln the embodiment of my invention disclosed in Fi'g. l, therepresentations are shown as words arranged in six grollps or classeswhich have termed for convenience respectively as follows: group l,descriptive,

or words, as adjectives describing character A; 2, words, as nouns,representing character A; 3, verbs, or words indicating action or whatcharacter A does in relation to charlacter B; 4, words, as nouns,representing character B; 5, words describing reaction or daoucfmcat;and (i, words indicating the conclusion.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly .to Figs. 1 and 5, mynoveldevice comprises a suitable carton or case l. of any suitablematerial, as reasonably stilil pasteboard, scored asindicated in dottedlines, Fig. 5, to permit it to be folded and form a case, as shown inFig. 1. illustrated, the 'arton may be conveniently forn'ied by firstfolding forwardly the sides 2, and 3, along the lines 4 and 5, nextfor-l wardly folding the wings 6 and 7 along the lines 8 and 9, thewings (S, 7, thereby constituting the double front wall of the case;folding the sections 10, 11, 12, 13, laterally on the lines 14, 15, 16,17, the sections 1S, 1S), forwardly on the lines 20, 21, and completingthe case b y folding the corners 22, 23, down upon the sections 1S, 1S),and securing them in any desired manner, so that the slots 24 in thewing 7 and bars Q-l between the slots Q5 in the wing (3, respectively',will register, andl therebyl constructing vthe fase as shown in Fig. '1.

The several groups of thought stimulating media or re]n'esentations arearranged and printed or otherwise displayed upon suitable strips otmaterial 25, as paper. The two ends of each strip are suitably attached.as by an adhesive,see Fig. 3, each to `a roller 26 of suitable material,as wood, each roller being thrust through suitable openings 27, Fig. l,in the opposite. sidesI of the carton and adapted to be rotated therein.The rollers and their strips of paper are. shown as arranged in pairs,sec Fig. 3, and are, of

course, placed in position when the side members 2, 3. are folded intoposition. For

lV hen scored as instance', see Fig. 3, the upper roll of paper has itsopposite ends secured to the upper pair of rollers QG, 26, and, whenusing the device the two rollers comprising a pair in each case, arerotated together and in the same direction, thus feeding forward thepa'- per strip with its thought stimulating media ioo and presenting thedifferent representations in turn at the aperture '24. For convenience,a rubber band 2S, or other suitable means may be provided for each pairof rollers, to keep them in sutliciently close relation to prevent toofree rotation of either' roller and consequent unwinding of the strip ofmaterial. therefrom.

To prevent longitudinal movement and possible displacement of therollers trom their bearings, each roller may be provided, either at theouter or inner tace ot' the side walls 2, 3, ot' the carton, with asuitable 'flange 29 ot' Wood or other material which may be`glued orotherwise secured to the roller after it has been placed in position.

As an illustration ot' the groups of words and manner'ot' using them, lhave displayed in. Fig. l, vone word from each groupH in proper relationand logical sequence to suggest a short story. To construct such a.series or" suggestions or thoughtstimulating media, the top, or lirstpair oic rollers is rotated until a representation, in this case a Word,is presented at the slot 2l which appeals to the imagination ot theoperator, or the word may be taken at random as it happens to bepresented. ln this case the Word presented is aged and as heretoforestated, is descriptive ot character A, which follows on the second roll.The second word having been selected in the saine manner or -he isforced to Alter an interim which is tull oi possibilitalion at random,we tind it represents or detines the principal character, in this casean lvlith the subject et the story, an aged aviator, in mind, the thirdroll is rotated until its presents at its slot 2t, a: word definingaction on the part of characv ter A, `lor instance, brides, whichappeals to the unagination ot the operator. By this time the operato1"simagination has been so y stimulated that he readily secs thepossibilities ol a story 'founded upon almost any seriesoli'representations that he `may select. The fourth roll presentscharacter B as the object ot bribes, ifor instance, cannibal; the fifthroll, a word denoting reaction or dnouement, in this case carousal, the'sixth and last roll presents a Word denoting the conclusion which'follows the reaction, in this rase, escapesl rlhese particular wordsreadily suggest, tor instance, that an aged aviator after flying throughthe air on a longtrip, lands finally on a desolate island where he ismet by a cannibal, whom bribe to secure his safety.

ties as a basis of a story, a' carousal ensues i'ollo\'\'iiig which theaviator escapes.

y the use ot my improved device, original ideas and suggestions offiction are evolved without any eli'ort on the part of the. operatorother than the turning of the several rolls. Ot' course there may be asmany rolls als desired but have l'ound that six rolls presents areasonably sulicient and satisfactory number of suggestions. Thesesuggestions following the order mentioned, serve a basis for theconstruction of original themes, situations, and complete plots fordramatic or` literary productions and ideas `upon which may be basedSerial cartoons.

Experience has shown that, With the stimu. lus furnished by theserepresentations mechanically controlled and presented7 vvit is very easyto construct a story or series of cartoons either as amusement for thetime being, or tor real literary work. As a game it may be passed fromone to another of a group of persons, each one in turn, by rotating apair ot rollers, presenting one or more words for suggestions, and theWhole six words completing the basis or outline of a story, which may bestill further enlarged and developed by additional rotation ol therollers in turn. l

Obviously the rollers may be used for presentingr stimulating thoughtmedia of other kinds as n'ell as words, jfor instance, illustrations,see Fig. 6 and bars of music, Fig. 7, and such representations would beparticularly valuable-in the construction of serial cartoons or rebusesand songs.

Haring described one embodiment of my invention which, however, may bemodified in many details Without departing from the spirit ot theinvention., I claim:

l. A scenario forming devieecomprising a case, a plurality of groups ot'plot suggesting representatives therein, and means to present to the'operator a representation from one or more of the plurality of groups ina predetermined order.

Q. A scenario forming device comprising a. ease, a plurality ot groupsof plot suggesting media niovably mounted therein, and means to presentto the operator thought stimulatingr media in relatively logical se-(lllOlli. 'l

l. n.. scenario vforming device comprising a case. a plurality oi"strips of flexible material therein, groups of plot suggesting'representatimis thereon, a plurality of rollers in the case carryingsaid strips, and means in the ease tor Yfeeding the strips to cause themto present to the operator one or more ot such representations.

4. A scenario formingdevice comprising a case, a lurality of strips o'lflexible niaterial therein` groups oiE plot suggesting words. oltditlezrnt grammatical classilication arranged in prmlcterinined orderthereon, a plurality ot rollers in the case carrying said strips, andmeans Vfor presenting to the operator a plurality of said thoughtstimulating representations.

A scenario forming device comprising a ease, a plurality of groups ofplot suggesting media movably mounted therein, and means to, present tothe operator thought 1,198,401 3 stimulating illustrations in suggestivesequence. l 6. A-scenario forming device comprising two subscribingWitnesses. a, case a Iurality of groups of plot suggest n 5 ing niedlriimovably mounted therein, and ARLHUR F' BLANCHARD means to presen-t tothe operator thought Witnesses: stimulating bars of music from one ormore groups.

In testimony whereof, I have Signed my l EVERETT EMERY, ELIZABETH P.HILLIARD.

name to this specication. in the presence of 10`

